We are very happy to announce Emanata Comics for the iPhone is now available in the App Store! Version 2.1 of Emanata Comics is a universal binary. This means the same app will work on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch family of devices running iOS 5 or above. You can now take your favorite indie comics to go! All of your favorite features of Emanata Comics for the iPad can be found in Emanata Comics for the iPhone.

The goal for Emanata has always been to help readers discover new artists and comics so the iPhone was the next logical step for us. Approximately 100 million iPads have been sold to date, but there are many more iPhones (over 250 million have been sold since launch) out there too!

We are excited about new storytelling possibilities and have many new ideas for features and functionalities that we intend to roll out soon. In the meantime, please download Emanata Comics to your iPhone, and let us know what you think!

“The app’s first step was to build a solid application for reading visual storytelling, and the second was to provide a solution to the large number of independent and aspiring comic book creators who were limited to selling a small number of printed comics at local shops and conventions.”

“Designed as a storefront and reader especially for independent artists, readers can discover new comics and stories they would have otherwise missed out on. “

“The app’s layout is perfect for the iPad’s large screen, taking full advantage of every pixel available. As soon as you open the app you’re introduced to loads of books, all scrolling along a virtual comic strip. It looks absolutely wonderful.”

“The App is one of the first readers designed entirely to promote, showcase and support independent comic books, giving creators a dedicated platform to aid them in getting their work into circulation.”

“コミック業界に新しい風を吹き込むかもしれない

(…a new trend in comic book industry…)”

“It’s a smart package and one that extends the variety of comic books available through the iPad immensely.”

“Torn between geeking out over comics and geeking out over technology? There’s an app for that. Bay Area startup company Emanata is “a comic and visual story reader” that allows readers to access original comics from up-and-coming artists right on their iPad.”

“Comics fans will find a lot to like because Emanata specializes in finding things you haven’t seen before. Being all about the indies, it’s filled with comics that offer new and different ideas, artists, writers and styles. If you like your comics with a bit of diversity, this is app is a nice place to look around and discover new favorites.”

“Emanata’s system, by contrast, is billed as “artist centric” with no evaluation process before self-published comics go on sale. Creators can also choose to give their work away for free, which is not allowed on the Comixology platform.”

When we launched 1.0 this past Spring, it was (and is) very important to us to build an artist-centric submission based system. We believe in championing the indie artist community. So, based upon the feedback we received from artists, we have added an in-app purchase feature for artists to use to sell their work through Emanata.

We believe our contributing artists are the most important component of Emanata, and want to keep the Emanata artist community vibrant. Therefore, in 2.0 we’ve rolled out a couple of new artist-centric features:

— Artist Profile Page: each of our contributors now have a dedicated space within the app where readers can find, follow, and interact with the artists’ stories.

— In-App Purchases: artists may now opt to sell their stories via Apple’s iTunes payment system. We will always provide free content for readers to discover great artists and stories. However, we believe that Emanata can also become a revenue source for an artist and turn his or stories into more than an avocation.

It’s a big week for you and for us between our launch, NYCC, and APE! Please make sure to stop by and say hi to us at APE this weekend. We’ll be at Table 934.

Thank you so much for helping us to grow our community — we couldn’t have done it without your continued contributions of stories, support, and feedback.

We’re hitting the road and going on our very first field trip — we will be exhibiting at APE 2012 on October 13 and 14 at the Concourse Exhibition Center (635 8th Street) in San Francisco! The Alternative Press Expo is one of the must-attend comics events of the year. This year, APE will have a larger Exhibit Hall and even more programming tracks than 2011. In addition to getting to meet us, you’ll be able to catch a sneak peek of Emanata 2.0. We’ll be unveiling quite a few new features to our app for both readers and artists alike. Plus, we’ll have a few goodies to give away too. =)

Please pardon our radio silence for the last few weeks. We’ve been busy toiling away, finessing what you love about Emanata as well as prioritising the features you’ve said you’d like to see added. So, get ready to see some awesome new features for both readers and artists alike in the coming weeks!

The feedback we’ve received thus far is great! We enjoy hearing your comments, and we’ve definitely taken to heart much of what you’ve voiced. Please keep sending your comments and feedback to feedback@emanata.com.

And, if you or someone you know would like to join the Emanata community, please send a note to artist@emanata.co.